Their brocante is our bric-a-brac and going to a flea market or brocante sale is part of a summer holiday. The only slight drawback? The French have discovered the attractions of those old tins, quaint farm implements and Art Nouveau china. Browse stalls from antique and Art Deco to tin signs and breakfast bowls, from china to old books, jewellery to glassware. You may never see such an item again. These Paris flea markets are world famous, and very crowded in high season and pretty busy all year round.
Be prepared for crowds; this is the 4 th large tourist attraction in France. Puces de Vanves is less famous and smaller, occupying two streets. There are plenty of places to pick up a coffee and croissant. Metro: Ligne 13 to Porte de Vanves. Puces de Montreuil is more of a flea market where stalls are piled high with a mixture of objects and quality. Alongside antiques are second-hand clothes, and designer copies, hardware and the odd gems like posters and prints.
Metro: Ligne 9 to Porte de Montreuil. Many small towns and villages hold vide greniers in the summer. Some are good; some not so good. Families often have children selling their toys and parents getting rid of wellβ¦pretty much everything.
Or go to the local tourist office which will have information on the sales in your area. It also gives local Christmas markets and special brocante fairs. They exist all over France; just look for the signs outside buildings. Many of them are commercial ventures, individually owned, but there are a couple of organizations that fall into the depot-ventes category with outlets throughout the country.
Emmaus helps the poor, the homeless and refugees. The shops are run by volunteers and can be pretty chaotic. They can yield the odd treasure, but can also be depressingly full of junk. You just have to take a chance. This is another organization with depots all over France. Again, you take pot luck. You have to sort through an awful lot of stuff and they take new items from bankrupt shops or stock as well.
